Feeding the Five Thousand
Occasionally in my blog I’ve written about the miracles of Jesus and the emotional appeal they have for all of us. This post will be regarding the miraculous feeding of five thousand people.
A recent Bible video was published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints depicting this miracle, for those interested in viewing it here.
Background
Near the time of the feast of the Passover, Jesus and his disciples were preaching to a great multitude. “When the day began to wear away,” the people grew hungry. The disciples found a boy with five loaves and two fishes. Jesus “looked up to heaven,” “and gave thanks” “and blessed, and brake the loaves.”
“And they did all eat, and were filled.” Afterwards, there was “twelve baskets” of food remaining.
To paraphrase Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Jesus would not turn stones into bread to appease His own hunger. Yet for others, whose needs were less, He would gladly exercise His power to feed them. Jesus is the bread of life, an inexhaustible source of life, the one in whom there is always enough and to spare, who always gives abundantly to those who come unto Him.
Applications
Here are a few applications of this miracle for us.
Scriptures
Although the scriptures may appear to us to be a small thing—to only contain a small amount of nutrients—yet when we study, we see that even after we are filled, there still remains twelve baskets full.
Tithing
When you give tithes and offerings, somehow your five loaves and two fishes turn into enough to feed a multitude, with twelve baskets full remaining.
Gratitude
How little the disciples felt they had before they had given thanks. Yet after the Lord expressed gratitude, then it became clear they had more than sufficient. When we give thanks for our blessings, they multiply before our eyes.
Service
Twelve baskets remained. Isn't this how service always works? When the young boy freely shared his five baskets, could he possibly have imagined that he would receive twelve baskets in return?
Conclusion
The broken remnants are greater than the initial unbroken supply. So it is with all the principles already discussed. An unused supply of spirituality multiplies when it is put to use. This is the nature of the miracle.
On a final note, the people that were filled with earthly food that day later sought to make Jesus a political king. This led Jesus to give the incomparable sermon on the Bread of Life, which I wrote about in a different blog entry here.
Unfortunately, this same people that received miraculous food would later reject Jesus.
It is not enough to receive blessings; it is not enough to behold and participate in miracles; it is not enough to receive and recognize all the marvelous blessings poured out from heaven.
Because He is gracious, God sends His blessings on all His children. “He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
What Jesus required then is the same thing He requires now. We must believe in the Bread of Life; we must believe in Jesus as the literal, eternal Son of God, and we must obey His commandments.
<<< Previous blog post about the miracles of Jesus
Tithing
When you give tithes and offerings, somehow your five loaves and two fishes turn into enough to feed a multitude, with twelve baskets full remaining.
Gratitude
How little the disciples felt they had before they had given thanks. Yet after the Lord expressed gratitude, then it became clear they had more than sufficient. When we give thanks for our blessings, they multiply before our eyes.
Service
Twelve baskets remained. Isn't this how service always works? When the young boy freely shared his five baskets, could he possibly have imagined that he would receive twelve baskets in return?
Conclusion
The broken remnants are greater than the initial unbroken supply. So it is with all the principles already discussed. An unused supply of spirituality multiplies when it is put to use. This is the nature of the miracle.
On a final note, the people that were filled with earthly food that day later sought to make Jesus a political king. This led Jesus to give the incomparable sermon on the Bread of Life, which I wrote about in a different blog entry here.
Unfortunately, this same people that received miraculous food would later reject Jesus.
It is not enough to receive blessings; it is not enough to behold and participate in miracles; it is not enough to receive and recognize all the marvelous blessings poured out from heaven.
Because He is gracious, God sends His blessings on all His children. “He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
What Jesus required then is the same thing He requires now. We must believe in the Bread of Life; we must believe in Jesus as the literal, eternal Son of God, and we must obey His commandments.
<<< Previous blog post about the miracles of Jesus
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